Sio Port swamp (6450)
Kenya, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Sio Port swamp
Central coordinates: Latitude: 0.2333, Longitude: 34.0167
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1130 to 1130
Area of KBA (km2): 13.55461
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This site is a papyrus Cyperus papyrus swamp at the extreme north of the Kenyan section of Lake Victoria, on the Kenya/Uganda border. The site consists of mature, almost undisturbed, continuous papyrus stands, stretching from the mouth of the Sio river southwards for about 3.5 km along the lakeshore.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 3 for key species. This is an important site for Lake Victoria biome species, especially three papyrus endemics: Laniarius mufumbiri (relatively common), Bradypterus carpalis and Serinus koliensis. The globally threatened Chloropeta gracilirostris is not yet recorded but is likely to occur. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Sio Port is an important site because of the size of the swamp and its relatively pristine condition. Like other papyrus swamps around Lake Victoria, it is increasingly threatened by unsustainable use, and is in urgent need of better protection. Infestation by the exotic water-hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes in many parts of the lake has prevented fishermen from fishing, forcing them to seek alternative forms of livelihood and adding greatly to the human pressure on wetlands. Papyrus shows remarkable powers of regeneration, but excessive cutting for the local mat-making industry, combined with large-scale clearing for cultivating rice and other crops, could rapidly destroy this wetland. Further survey work needs to be carried out at Sio Port to establish whether the threatened Chloropeta gracilirostris is present, and if so, at what densities.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Only in the future | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Ongoing | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Only in the future | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Storms & flooding | Ongoing | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Ongoing |